A s s o c i at i o n o f p e t Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors

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APBC
ASSOCIATION OF PET
BEHAVIOUR COUNSELLORS

Chinchilla Factsheet
Introduction
Chinchillas are South American rodents with soft, dense
coats, large ears and eyes and a long hairy curled tail. They
are becoming increasingly popular as pets in the UK and can
commonly be found for sale in pet shops. This species has
complex social, environmental and behavioural needs which
need to be met if they are to be kept happily as pets. This
information leaflet is about the history and natural behaviour of
the chinchilla, and how to meet their behavioural needs as pets.
If you already have chinchillas, this guide willhelp you understand
your chinchillas so that you can provide for their needs, and if you
are thinking about getting chinchillas it can help you to decide
whether they are the right pet for you and your household.

The Natural History
of Wild Chinchillas
Chinchillas belong to the family
Chinchillidae, which consists of
chinchillas and viscachas (Marcon
& Mongini, 1984). There are two
species of chinchilla; Chinchilla
lanigera, the long-tailed chinchilla,
and Chinchilla brevicaudata, the
short-tailed chinchilla (Spotorno et
al, 2004). Chinchillas have a broad
head with large ears and eyes, small
forelimbs and a long, hairy tail. They
have rootless teeth which grow
continuously and enable them to cope
with the constant dental wear caused
byeating abrasive plant material
(Spotorno et al, 2004).
Chinchillas were once widespread
along the Andes, but commercial
hunting for their fur in the 19th Century
decimated the population (Jimenez,
1996). Wild chinchillas are protected
under CITES Appendix 1 (CITES,
accessed 2011), and classed as
‘Threatened’ under the IUCN (IUCN,
accessed 2011). They exist mostly in
the Reserva Nacional las Chinchillas in
Auco, Chile (Jimenez, 1996). Captive
chinchillas have descended from 12
wild chinchillas (C. lanigera) captured
in 1923 by Mathias. F Chapman and
taken to the USA (Spotorno et al,
2004). Today, they are kept as fur-
bearing animals, laboratory animals
and pets.
Habitat
Their natural habitat is arid and barren
with sparse vegetation and rainfall
occuring mostly between May and
August (Spotorno et al, 2004). Living
in an arid environment, chinchillas are
specially adapted to conserve energy
- they produce concentrated urine
and small, dry faeces, and their dense
hair (with around 50-75 hairs per
follicle (Wilcox, (1950)) prevents heat
and water loss (Spotorno et al, 2004).
Their lifespan in the wild is around 6
years but in captivity it can be up to 20
years(Spotorno et al, 2004).
Diet
Chinchillas are generalists and
opportunistic herbivores – an
adaptation to living in areas where
food availability fluctuates. They
feed on different plants when they
become available so their diet varies
greatly between the wet and dry
seasons(Cortés, Miranda & Jiménez,
2002). Their main food plants are
the bark and leaves of native herbs
and shrubs, and succulents such as
bromeliads and cacti ( Cortés,Miranda
& Jiménez, 2002). Chinchillas rarely
drink in the wild but obtain all their
fluids from their diet (Spotorno et al,
2004).
Behaviour
Chinchillas are social animals which
live in colonies of 100 or more
individuals(Spotorno et al, 2004).
They construct burrows or shelter in
crevices under rocks or in plants, and
dustbathe frequently in the area near
the burrow entrance (Spotorno et al,
2004). Chinchillas are crepuscular and
nocturnal (active at dawn and dusk
and throughout the night) (Jiménez,
1996). They use conspicuous rocks
for observing their range, resting and
forming latrines sites which serve to
advertise their presence to others
(Spotorno et al, 2004). Chinchillas are
a prey species - their natural predators
include the Culpeo foxand Magallen
horned owl and they can shed their fur
to escape predators (Spotorno et al,
2004).
Care of pet chinchillas
Environment
Accommodation
Chinchillas are highly active animals
and captive chinchillas show peaks
of activity in the early morning and
evening, and throughout the night (Kay,
2004; Dzierzanowska-Goryn, Kaleta &
Kowalczyk, 2005). They need a large
and interesting environment to live
in and explore so their home should
consist of a spacious home cage and
free access from the cage to a large and
enriched exercise area.
The Home Cage – When chinchillas
first started to be kept in captivity on
fur farms they were housed incages
which are typically 40 to 60 cm wide,
35 to 50cm deep and 35 to 40cm
high(European Commission, 2001)
and cages of this design and size are
still readily available to buy for pet
chinchillas. These traditional style cages
are far too small to accommodate a
pair or group of chinchillas but there are
now a greater variety of cage sizes and
designs available.
Choose the largest cage possible to
enable your chinchillas to hop, jump,
explore, hide and avoid each other if
they wish. The cage should be made
of strong metal and strong wire mesh,
with wooden shelves at several levels
(Spotorno et al, 2004; Saunders, 2009;
Hoppmann, & Wilson-Barron, 2007).
Avoid cages with plastic shelves and
bases – chinchillas are prodigious
chewers and will destroy these quickly.
Shelves should be arranged so that
there are no uninterrupted heights
of 60cm or more to avoid injury from
falls (Saunders, 2009). Many cages
have wire mesh floors – these help
to prevent chinchillas’ coat from
coming into contact with damp litter
which can cause matting, h owever
prolonged sitting on wire mesh floors
can cause podermatitis (blistering on
the soles of the feet) so it is important
to provide solid shelves for chinchillas
to escape from standing on wire mesh
(Hoppmann, & Wilson-Barron, 2007).
The Exercise Area – Chinchillas need
access to a safe exercise area to run
around in at least eachevening if it is
not freely available to them at all times.
Ideally, this should be attached to their
cage so that they can come and go as
they please. A good option is to locate
your chinchillas’ cage in a chinchilla-
proofed room where you can safely
let them out to run around at night.
Another option is to attach a secure
playpen, with a roof to prevent escape,
to their cage.
Chinchilla-proofing
an exercise area
Chinchillas are notorious chewers
so you should ensure that any
area you allow your chinchillas
to exercise in is fully chinchilla-
proofed to protect them from injury
or from ingesting materials which
could be harmful to their health.
Make sure that:
• Skirting boards and the lower
half of walls and doors are
covered. This can be done by
covering them with wood or
cardboard, or placing small
animal playpen panels along the
edges of the room.
• Electrical items are either
removed or covered. Hard
plastic tubing to cover electrical
wiring can be bought from most
DIY stores.
• Any items you do not want
chewed are removed.
• Cover the flooring if you do not
want urine stains –chinchillas are
not fussy about where they wee!
Transporting your chinchillas to
a separate exercise area can be
stressful for chinchillas as this often
involves being caught from their cage
and exercise area, being handled,
being away from familiar scents and
places to hide, and lack of access to
resources such as food and water.
Rooms such as kitchens, living rooms,
bathrooms and bedrooms are not
ideal places to allow chinchillas to
exercise freely as they can reach high
places and squeeze into tight spaces
so can be hazardous for chinchillas.
Enrichment
Plenty of environmental enrichment
will help to keep chinchillas mentally
and physically stimulated(Saunders,
2009) and enables them to express
natural behaviours such as hiding,
chewing and jumping.
Your chinchillas’ cage and exercise
area should contain boxes, tunnels
and tubes to explore, hide in and jump
on, and branches of wood to chew to
help wear their teeth down ( Spotorno
et al, 2004; Hoppmann, & Wilson-
Barron, 2007). Provide a selection of
enrichment items and swap them for
new ones frequently to help maintain
your chinchillas’ interest in their
environment.
A very large metal wheel with a solid
running surface (i.e. no open rungs)
may be provided but this should not
be the only source of enrichment and
exercise for chinchillas.
As a prey species, chinchillas need
places to hide and rest undercover
away from predators. Providing
chinchillas with nest boxes helps them
to manage stress by enabling them
to retreat from things which scare
them (Saunders, 2009; Hoppmann,
& Wilson-Barron, 2007; Kay, 2004).
There should be at least one nest box
for each chinchilla housed together
to ensure chinchillas can hide from
and avoid each other if needed, and
a larger one for them to rest or hide
together if they wish.
Bedding and Nesting materials
Provide bedding at the base of the
cage to absorb waste, and nesting
materials within the cage and nest
boxes for your chinchillas to rest on.
Wood shavings, newspaper, shredded
paper or recycled wood or cardboard
litters are suitable bedding materials,
and hay or soft, shredded paper
bedding can be used as nesting
material.
The cage should be spot cleaned
daily to remove droppings and damp
bedding and nesting material. Once
a week, the entire cage should be
cleaned and all bedding and nesting
material replaced.
Chinchillas, like many rodents,
recognise their environment as being
familiar through scent, and thorough
cleaning is likely to remove all familiar
scent which may cause stress. When
cleaning the cage, use an unscented,
pet-safe disinfectant. Retain a handful
of old but dry bedding and nesting
material to replace in the cage once
it has been fully cleaned. Replacing
these used materials will help to
maintain some familiar scents and
reduce the stress of cage cleaning.
It’s best to clean your chinchillas’
cage in the evening when they are
naturally awake and active to avoid
disturbing their rest during the day.
External environment
The presence, scent or sound of
predatory animals such as cats and
dogs may be stressful for chinchillas
(Johnson, 2006). Make sure that
other pets such as cats and dogs
are kept out of sight from your
chinchillas’ home. In the wild, the
chinchilla’s main predator is the owl,
so stimuli coming from above can
be frightening, therefore the cage
should be raised off the floor so that
it is not possible to approach its
top, and overhead fans should be
avoided(Sobie, 2010). Chinchillas are
sensitive to noise so should not be
housed close to sources of household
noise (e.g. washing machines, TV’s,
stereos) (Johnson, 2006).
Chinchillas must be kept as
indoor pets as they do not tolerate
fluctuations in temperature well.
Cages should be kept in a draft free
area which permits daytime sleep as
they are largely nocturnal (Spotorno
et al, 2004). Chinchillas should be
housed at temperatures between 16
to 25°C in areas of low humidity and
should never be kept at temperatures
exceeding 30°C due to the risk of
heat stroke(Spotorno et al, 2004;
Hoppmann & Wilson-Barron, 2007).
Diet
Chinchillas are mainly herbivorous
(eat only plant material) and
caecotrophic (they produce two
types of faecal pellet, the first
type, the ‘ceacotroph’, is eaten
by thechinchillas directly from
the anus to produce a second,
small, dry pellet) (Boussarie, 2002;
Kupersmith, 1998). A diet high in
plant fibre is needed to maintain
this special digestive process so
chinchillas must have ad lib access
to good quality, fresh, dust-free
grass hay at all times. A chinchilla’s
typical daily diet consists of 30g of
pellets and unlimited hay (Wolf et
al, 2003), with fresh water provided
daily from a bottle.
Fresh herbs and leafy greens can be
fed in very small amounts daily as
treats. Chinchillas have been shown
to prefer dead and dry leaves to fresh
leaves (Cortés, Miranda & Jiménez,
2002), and can be given dried herb
and plant mixes, which can be found
in most pet stores, to supplement
their hay-based diet and add variety
and interest to it.
Feeding enrichment
Chinchillas would naturally spend
most of their waking hours in the
wild searching for food so try out
some of these ideas to occupy
their time and provide an outlet
for natural foraging behaviour:
• Scatter their daily pellets around
their cage and exercise area
instead of feeding from the bowl.
This has the extra advantage of
preventing one chinchilla from
monopolising the food bowl area
and preventing other chinchillas
from getting their fair share of
food.
• Hide hay, pellets and greens in
paper bags, cardboard tubes
and boxes
• Try out some special activity
toys suitable for small animals,
such as puzzle boards, feeding
balls or small animal kongs.
An inappropriate diet can cause
health problems in chinchillas.
Obesity and malocclusion are
common problems in chinchillas
due to ad libitum feeding of
concentrate foods, selective
feeding on ‘muesli type’ foods and
lack of hay in the diet(Wolf et al,
2003; Legendre, 2002). A recent
study in rabbits has indicated the
extent of health problems caused
by muesli foods (RAW, 2013) and
due to the similarities in the dietary
requirements, digestive system and
dentition of rabbits and chinchilllas,
it is likely that those concerns
are applicable to chinchillas. It is
therefore advisable to feed a pelleted
diet and avoid muesli mixes. Sudden
changes to the diet should be
avoided can cause serious digestive
upset(Saunders, 2009) so any
changes must be made very gradually
by mixing a very small amount of new
food to their old food and gradually
adjusting the proportions over at
least 14 days. It has been suggested
that chinchillas will reject certain
food items by throwing them out of
the cage if they are not easily held in
their forepaws (Weir, 1967) which may
influence which items of muesli diets
are selected to eat.
Muesli-style foods – What’s the
Problem?
Selective feeding on high fat
and sugar items - Chinchillas
will tend to pick out items high in
fat and sugar, such as seeds and
dried fruits, and leave healthier,
high fibre pieces. This is a natural,
adaptive behaviour to ensure
survival - in the wild, chinchillas
would rarely come across high
fat and sugar foods so when they
do they tend to eat all they find in
order to gain the most amount of
nutrition from it. However in pets,
this tendency can lead to obesity
and other health problems as high
sugar/fat items are more freely
available to them.
Lack of abrasive material
- Chinchillas’ teeth grow
continuously so that they can
feed on abrasive plant material
which constantly wears their teeth
down. Muesli foods are very soft
so do not provide enough dental
wear, leading to overgrown and
misaligned teeth.
 Lack of fibre - Chinchillas require
high levels of fibre in their diet in
order for their digestive system to
work properly. Low fibre muesli-
based diets can lead to digestive
problems and potentially life-
threatening gut stasis.
Behaviour
Dustbathing
Chinchillas must dustbathe regularly
to keep their fur clean (Barber &
Thompson, 1989). Chinchillas should
be allowed to access their dustbathe
daily, however time-limiting access
to dustbaths may be necessary to
prevent eye irritation (Saunders,
2009), protect the coat from contact
with soiled sand or prevent dry skin
due to over-bathing (Sobie, 2010).
Specialist chinchilla bathing sand can
be bought from most pet stores. Play
or builder’s sand is not suitable for
chinchillas to dustbathe in as it does
not have the properties required to
keep a chinchilla’s coat clean and may
damage the chinchillas coat or skin.
Chinchillas have a distinct sequence
of dustbathing behaviour consisting
of three phases: ‘paw phase’ involves
digging in the sand and drawing it
towards the body, ‘cheek phase’
involves rubbing the cheeks in the
sand, and the final ‘spin phase’
involved rolling over completely
(Stern & Merari, 1969). Watch your
chinchillas dustbathe to spot these
three stages. Chinchillas will spin
more in their dust baths the longer
they have been deprived of a bath
(Stern & Merari, 1969).
Dustbathing may also be an important
means of social bonding and
maintaining a group scent (Eisenberg,
1962). In other species such as the
degu, individuals have been found
to bathe more regularly in areas
where other familiar individuals have
previously bathed (Ebensperger &
Caiozzi, 2002). This may be important
for territorial defence near the burrow
entrance and for recognition of group
members(Ebensperger & Caiozzi,
2002). Further research into the
dustbathing behaviour of chinchillas
is required to determine all of its
functions to them.
Socialisation and Handling
The socialisation period is a
sensitive period during an animal’s
early development when it is most
receptive to learning about other
social objects (i.e. other chinchillas
and people). It is important that
chinchillas have good experiences
with people during this time in order
for them to be comfortable in their
presence duringadulthood. The
socialisation period for chinchillas
has not been determined, but
inrabbits this may occur between
4 and 6 weeks of age as handling
rabbit kits at this age helps them to
become accustomed to people and
more easily handled later in life(Der
Weduwen, 1998). Other studies
have confirmed that gentle handling
of young rabbits, especially after
nursing, reduces fear of humans
( Csatadi et al, 2005; Jezierski &
Konecka, 1996).
Chinchillas can be nervous of humans
if they have not experienced human
contact at an early age, and the
behaviour of the mother towards
humans may be an important
influence on the kits’ socialisation
(Saunders, 2009; Sobie, 2010).
There has been little research
investigating the behaviour of
chinchillas towards humans.
One study tested the reaction of
chinchillas to hand intrusion into
the cage and found that chinchillas
elicited four different responses -
curious, indifferent, anxious and
aggressive, with most chinchillas
(47%) responding with curiosity
(Shuurman, 1996).
Introducing Chinchillas
to Handling
Chinchillas are prey species
and will associate handling with
being caught by a predator. It’s
important to introduce them to
handling very gradually and gently,
and in association with positive
experiences (e.g. tasty food) so
that they never feel threatened. It’s
best to do this in the evening when
chinchillas are naturally awake.
1. Start by so that they begin to
associate your presence with
good experiences.
2. Once they are confident with
taking food from your hand, try
gently and briefly stroking his/
her back, then stop and reward
with a treat. They will begin to
learn that your hands around
them are a good thing. Repeat
this many times, slowly building
up the length of time you stroke
them for.
3. The next step is to gently cup
one hand underneath your
chinchilla’s bottom and the other
underneath the chest as if you
are preparing to lift him/her.
Then remove your hands and
reward your chinchilla for staying
still and calm. Repeat this many
times until your chinchillas are
completely relaxed and happy
with it.4. Next, with your hands
supporting under the bottom
and chest, gently lift your
chinchilla briefly, then set him
down and reward with a treat.
Never hold too tightly as this
can make a chinchilla panic and
struggle.
Another method is to train your
chinchilla to climb onto your arms:
1. Again, start by offering your
chinchillas a small, healthy treat
from the palm of your hand.
2. Once they are confident with
taking food from your hand,
move the treat higher up your
hand, nearer to your wrist so
that your chinchilla has to walk
onto your hand to retrieve it.
Repeat this many times until
your chinchilla is confident to
climb on your hand.
3. Next, move the treat up your
forearm so that your chinchilla
has climb entirely onto your arm
to retrieve it. Repeat this many
times until your chinchilla is
confident to climb on your hand.
4. Whilst he/she is on your arm,
gently place your other hand
under his/her bottom, then
remove this hand and reward.
This will help him/her to get used
to the other hand being used to
support him when lifted. Repeat.
5. With your chinchilla on your
arm and the other hand
supporting his/her, back/
bottom, slowly lift him/her a
short distance then put him/her
down and reward. Gradually
build up the length of time your
chinchilla is lifted up for.
Vocalisation
Chinchillas produce a variety of
vocalisations which can be categorised
as exploratory, contact, bark and alarm
calls (Hunyady, 2008). Exploratory calls
were made during investigations of the
environment(Hunyady, 2008). Contact
calls were made before interacting with
a desired person, chinchilla or object,
and are an expression of pleasure or
contentment (Hunyady, 2008). Bark
calls were produced when a chinchilla
was agitated or felt threatened and
were directed towards the aggressor or
threat, serving as a defensive warning
(Hunyady, 2008). The alarm call was a
high pitched shriek or squeal, produced
when a chinchilla was highly fearful or
in pain (Hunyady, 2008).
Body language and physical
communication
A chinchilla’s body posture
communicates its emotional state;
frightened chinchillas will crouch
down, lower their ears and turn
away from fearful stimuli, inquisitive
chinchillas attend to and move
towards what interests them, or
they may stand on their hind legs
when interested or alarmed (Sobie,
2010). Chinchillas may gently nibble
objects and people to investigate
them - this is normal behaviour and
should not be punished in any way
as punishment may create a fear
of humans (Johnson, 2006; Sobie,
2010). Chinchillas maintain social
bonds through mutual grooming and
mouth sniffing (Pavia, 2003) and will
often sleep in close contact with other
chinchillas which they are familiar and
friendly with.
Defensive behaviour
Chinchillas can shed their fur (known
as ‘fur-slip’) or the hair at the end of
the tail (known as ‘tail de-gloving’)
when restrained or handled roughly
to enable them toescape(Saunders,
2009). Chinchillas spray urine when
scared and this may be directed at
humans or other chinchillas (Weir,
1967). Females are more likely to
urine spray than males, and are more
likely to successfully target their
perceivedthreat with urine (Sobie,
2010). Chinchillas may growl and bear
their teeth when threatened but only
bite if forced to defend themselves
(Saunders, 2009; Kay, 2004; Weir,
1967).
Behaviour Problems in
Chinchillas
Chinchillas may develop behaviour
problems due to medical or pain
issues, inappropriate interactions
with humans or because their
needs are not met by their living
environment and husbandry. Some
common behaviour problems are
outlined below:
Fur chewing
Fur chewing is a behaviour problem
occurring in chinchillas which
involves the chinchilla repeatedly
chewing the fur, usually on its sides
and back, until it becomes very short
and matted. It can range in severity
from mild, where only a few tufts of
hair are chewed, to severe, where
there is extensive fur loss or damage
(Ponzio et al., 2007).
Many causes of fur chewing
have been suggested (European
Commission, 2001; Ponzio et
al., 2007). Fur chewing may be
influenced by dietary factors
such as the amount of hay in the
diet (Berthelsen & Hansen, 1999;
Lidfors, 1997; Kersten, 1997),
parasites such as ringworm and
fleas ( Hoppmann & Wilson-Barron,
2007) inheritedbehaviour ( Iglauer
et al.,1995; Malmkvist & Hansen,
2001), or environmental factorssuch
as frequency of cage cleaning,
number of chinchillas housed,
access to a dustbath and noise in
the environment (Ponzio et al., 2007)
or attention from human caregivers
(kersten, 1997).
Recent research indicates that fur
chewing is a stress related behaviour
with a female bias, as chinchillas
displaying severe fur-chewing show
A Chinchilla with signs of extensive fur damage due to fur chewing
(Marina Ponzio, University of Guelph, 2008)
raised cortisol levels (a hormone
released during stress) (Ponzio et al.,
2012). Husbandry and management
practices employed by owners
may be a source of stress to pet
chinchillas, which may influence
fur-chewing. wA study investigating
the relationship between behaviour
problems and management practices
in pet chinchillas indicated that fur
chewing behaviour was associated
with smaller cages, cages that were
cleaned less frequently and lack
of access to a nestbox (Hacking
& Taggart, 2011), however further
research is required to confirm these
associations and investigate the
reasons for them.
Repetitive behaviours
Chinchillas in captivity may show
repetitive movements such as
spinning, pacing back and forth, or
rapid, repeated locomotion along the
cage walls (Johnson, 2006; Sobie,
2010; Kersten, 1997). Chinchillas
may also gnaw or shake the bars of
the cage due to sources of stress in
the environment, lack of access to
shelter, or frustration due to lack of
physical or mental stimulation.
Bar gnawing, back-flipping and
other repetitive movements were
common in pet chinchillas and
these behaviours were significantly
inversely associated with the number
of chinchillas owned (Hacking &
Taggart, 2011), meaning these
behaviours were less likely to
occurred in households with more
chinchillas. This may be because
a higher population has a stress-
reducing effect (Ponzio et al., 2007),
reducing the need to perform these
behaviours.

Aggression to cagemates
and owners
Chinchillas may show aggressive
behaviours such as aggressive
vocalisations, lunging and biting due
to fear or stress. Aggressive biting
must be distinguished from normal
investigative biting and nibbling
that is often directed at owners
whilst they are exploring them -
this is normal chinchilla behaviour
(Johnson, 2006; Sobie 2010).
One study indicated that aggression
to cagemates was associated with
exercise provision, and biting people
was associated with cage size,
handling frequency and the number
of chinchillas owned(Hacking
& Taggart, 2011). Owners with
chinchillas that bit people had
smaller cages for their chinchillas
than owners of chinchillas that
did not bite (Hacking & Taggart,
2011). A smaller cage may mean
that chinchillas have less space to
escape threats, so are more likely
to bite to defend themselves(Weir,
1967). Alternatively, small cages
may increase frustration which
could beexpressed as aggressive
behaviour(Hacking & Taggart, 2011).
Preventing problem behaviour
Whilst the causes of fur chewing
and other behaviour problems in
chinchillas are largely unknown, an
understanding of the chinchilla’s
natural behaviour and the ability to
provide for these fully when kept as
pets is likely to help to prevent the
occurrence of behaviour problems.
Chinchillas need a proper diet, the
right accommodation, plenty of
physical and mental stimulation and
to be kept in stable and compatible
social groups in order to help prevent
problems. If any of your chinchillas
are exhibiting a behaviour problem,
see your vet first to identify any
medical reasons which may be
causing or influencing the problem.
Once these have been identified and
treated, your vet can refer you to an
APBC member for further help.
Company
Social environment
Chinchillas are social animals
that live in large groups in the
wild(Spotorno et al.,2004) so
providing appropriate company
is important for pet chinchillas.
Chinchillas may be kept in same sex
pairs or groups, or a castrated male
with one or more females (Johnson,
2006). Chinchillas kept in same sex
pairs or groups must be littermate
pairs which have been raised
together, or individuals that have
been introduced to each other at an
early age, and pairs must be closely
monitored due to the possibility of
fighting at sexual maturity (Saunders,
2009; Kay, 2004). Some authors
suggest that aggression is common
in females towards males and other
females (Boussarie, 2002; Weir,
1967) and threats include growling,
teeth chattering and urine spraying
(Spotorno et al., 2004).
Mounting behaviour may be observed
in any combination of gender pairs
outside the context of reproduction
(Sobie, 2010). This behaviour may be
more prevalent in situations lacking
environmental enrichment and
individuals that have been subject to
mounting avoid areas of conflict, such
as feeding and exercise areas, in the
presence of the mounting individual
(Sobie, 2010).
Are chinchillas the right
pets for you?
Taking on any kind of pet is a big
decision which requires serious
thought and research beforehand.
Consider the following to help you
decide whether chinchillas are the
right pet for you, your family and
your circumstances:
• Chinchillas are not cheap
pets. Consider the cost of
suitable accommodation, food,
bedding, toys and veterinary
care. Remember you will need
to provide for at least two
animals, as chinchillas need
suitable company of their own
kind As chinchillas are a long-
term commitment its worth
considering taking out specialist
exotic pet insurance to cover
any unexpected veterinary fees.
• Chinchillas live a long time –
up to 20 years! Its important
to make sure you can commit
to caring for chinchillas for
their entire lifespan. Consider
whether your life is likely to
change in any way which will
affect your ability to keep you
chinchillas.•Chinchillas can
be destructive– they like and
need to chew, and if you’re not
prepared, your furniture, skirting
boards, walls and wallpaper can
be the focus of their chewing.
• Chinchillas are messy– they
produce thousands of small
poos daily which they leave
everywhere, in addition to
bits of bathing sand, hay and
bedding – you need to be
happy to use a dustpan and
brush frequently.
• Chinchillas need plenty of
exercise– living entirely within
a cage is not an option for
chinchillas – they need to get
out for free exercise every
evening so you will need a
safe place for them to do this.
Rooms such as kitchens, living
rooms and bedrooms are not
ideal as chinchillas can reach
high places and squeeze into
tight places, so these places
can be hazardous to chinchillas.
If you have other pets you will
need a safe place for your
chinchillas to live and exercise
well away from them.
• Chinchillas are not children’s
pets – they dislike being held
and cuddled and are awake late
at night making them unsuitable
for children.
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